The Secret of Takeout
by renisanz
Summary: Who knew eating with sticks could be so awesome? Ronon/Keller. One shot.


**Title:** "The Secret of Take-Out"

**Author:** renisanz

**Summary:** Who knew eating with sticks could be so awesome?

**Characters/Pairing:** Ronon/Keller

**Rating:** PG

**Wordcount:** 1,170

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Notes:** Written for the fic battle at **lostcityfound**. Prompt: Dex/Keller, Chinese food.

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He caught her scent, fresh and floral, long before he saw her, and he slowed his walk. He heard her voice coming from round the end of the corridor, and it sounded low and mischievous. She giggled and bid farewell to whomever she had been talking to, and hastily swung around the corner. She shrieked when she—or rather, the large box she was holding—collided with his chest. She stumbled backwards and fumbled with the cumbersome box, and he instinctively reached out, grasping her upper arms to keep her steady.

"Ronon," she looked up at him with wide eyes. Her face was flushed from what he figured to be embarrassment at her clumsiness.

"Hey," he not-quite grunted. He was glad to see her, after all.

His hands still held her arms, and she had yet to pull away from. After a moment he released her, and it was only then that she stepped back.

He nodded at the box in her arms. "What's in there?"

Her eyes twinkled at his question, a bright smile curving her lips. She turned her head, looking around him and then behind herself. "It's uh. . .well," she held the box out to him and he gently took it from her slim arms. She was still blushing as he watched her brush stray swath of hair behind her ear, only to have it fall back into her face. "I can show you better than I can tell you. Do you have a few minutes free?"

He raised an eyebrow. He was intrigued, so he nodded. He had been on his way to the infirmary to see her anyway.

"Come on."

. . . . .

Ronon cursed as another piece of honeyed chicken bounced into his lap and onto the floor. He awkwardly held the slender, wooden sticks she had given him. "You said people actually eat with these?"

"Yeah, about a billion at least," she quipped, before deftly lifting a clump of rice into her mouth. She sat cross-legged on the floor across from him. White paper boxes with red markings on the side containing various forms of _Chinese food _(or the closest approximation of it using mostly ingredients native to the Pegasus galaxy, as she had informed him) spread out between them. He had been a bit confused by her level of excitement over the contents of the package she had been carrying earlier that day. But then she had explained that they were for a awesome kind of food, and that had caught his attention. She didn't mention that learning to use the utensils meant to eat the food would be one of the cruelest forms of torture.

Ronon exhaled with frustration and stabbed the piece of chicken with one of the sticks. _Ok, maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all,_ he mused as he bit down on the skewered bit of food.

She choked out laugh at the sight, and he looked up to see her covering her mouth, but not before a few pieces of rice shot out onto the table.

He couldn't help but laugh as her cheeks flushed. She quickly chewed and swallowed as she glared at him. "I think I inhaled nearly inhaled my rice . . ."

He simply shrugged and then stabbed another piece of chicken.

She rolled her eyes. "Geez, stop that," she chided. She put down her box of rice and crawled the brief distance to his side, and then cross her legs once more as she sat down. "Here," she took the single stick from his hand and picked up the other one that was laying on the mat in front of them. There was something incredibly sensual about the way her wrist curved as she dipped the sticks into the box containing the pieces of chicken. She pulled it out with even more grace and then brought it up to his mouth. She was good with her hands. His eyes never left her face as she carefully placed the morsel on his tongue. It was like he was tasting it for the first time.

"Mmmm," he chewed, savoring the tangy flavor. He still wasn't sure about the idea that eating the food from these boxes made the food taste any better. However, her feeding him was doing a pretty good job of it. Suddenly, he wasn't so hungry for food so much. She'd been watching his mouth this whole time, and when he swallowed, her light brown eyes darted to his and then back down to the food in front of them.

The had never talked about this _thing_—whatever it was—between them. He had not been able to spend any real time alone with her since the quarantine. At the time it didn't seem like a big deal, with Replicators to destroy and Wraith to kill. No time or need for any distractions.

But now he was becoming overwhelmed with her quiet presence. She smiled shyly, and a curious expression played across her features as she looked back to him. She looked to his mouth and then his eyes. He remembered that look. In acknowledgment, he leaned toward her, he raised his hand and brushed a golden tendril behind her and then brushed his fingers across the smooth skin just below her jaw, letting them come to rest against the nape of her neck. He could feel her soft breath against his lips.

"Dr. Keller, please report to the infirmary," a voice droned over the intercom.

She jumped at the sound, and the moment was lost. She sigh in frustration as she clambered to her feet. She turned toward the door, but then looked back mournfully at the food before her.

"I'll clean this stuff up," he offered. He was sure McKay wouldn't pass up free food. "Just go," he said, standing up as well.

"Uhm, ok. . .thanks," she smiled weakly.

He watched her lithe form as she walked toward the door, and then she hesitated once more, turning back to him. "You forget something?" he asked, looking around.

She bit her lip nervously, but maintained eye contact as she jogged the distance between them to come to stand before him. Then er cool hands were on either side of his face, and he only had a second to register what she was doing before her lips met his. Their lips parted, and he kissed her again, quickly, but with earnest. He drew away and opened his eyes to see her cheeks flushed to match her lips, and he smirked.

"Ok, I'll see you later," she bounced back on her heels and began walking backwards away from him. He merely nodded, not trusting his voice.

She flashed a triumphant smile and exited the balcony.

Ronon turned bent down and picked up a the box of honeyed chicken. He picked up one _chopstick_, then the other, placing them between his fingers the way she had shown him earlier. Carefully, he picked up a bite and popped it in his mouth.

It wasn't so hard, after all.

-finis-

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A/N: I thought this would be short, but alas. . .

Feedback is appreciated. :)


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